The Los Angeles Lakers are down to the wire in cutting their roster to the maximum of 15 players, with only the preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena left for certain players to prove their worth.
One of those players who will be hoping to make head coach JJ Redick’s final roster is third-year guard Bronny James. The USC product is among the names rumored to be on the roster bubble, with the Lakers needing to make some tough decisions over the weekend.
JJ Redick: Bronny James Hasn’t ‘Played Well in 4 Preseason Games’
Unfortunately for James, Redick hasn’t liked what he’s seen from the young guard over the course of the four preseason games the team has played so far.
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 14, 2026JJ Redick admits that Bronny hasn’t played well in the preseason
“I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices.”
"I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us," Redick said of Bronny James. "I don't think he's played well in the four preseason games, but he's had good practices. Some of it's just rhythm. Some of it's who he's playing with. He's played a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games, with our two-way guys."
At this point, it is anyone’s guess what the Lakers will decide to do to get their roster down to 15 players. There’s been a lot of speculation about a potential two-for-one trade that general manager Rob Pelinka discussed a few weeks ago, or about the team simply parting ways with one of their players on a guaranteed contract.
Everything seems fluid at this point, and James is anything but safe heading into the final game of the preseason, even though there have been reports that the team is high on him and that he’s well-liked in the organization.
Bronny James’ Preseason Stats Are Tough to Stomach
Heading into the preseason finale on Friday, James has played in all four preseason games, but his stats left quite a bit to be desired for a player fighting for a roster spot.
Despite getting a substantial amount of time on the basketball floor at 17.5 minutes per game, the 22-year-old hasn’t done much to show he’s deserving of a place on this team, even if it is as a player who only gets on the floor in garbage time.
James is averaging 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting an abysmal 26.7% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc.
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) October 9, 2026Bronny James CANNOT play point guard.
He can't bring the ball past half court without a turnover.
He is also NOT a shooting guard who can hit open shots.
He's just not an NBA player. pic.twitter.com/RVv4uW120Y
Perhaps the most telling stat regarding James’ struggles on the floor is that he’s averaging 3.0 turnovers per game. He’s scored 11 points and committed 12 turnovers, which obviously isn’t ideal and almost certainly doesn’t sit well with Redick.
James is tied for the most turnovers (12) on the team right now with veteran newcomers Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy.
Even though James has received praise at times from Redick and is rumored to be a player in good standing within the organization, the numbers can’t be ignored, especially for a player entering his third season with the team and the franchise needing to make tough decisions before the season opener.
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